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Synonyms

sit on the fence

Cultural  
  1. To remain neutral, to refuse to take sides in a dispute; often used in a derogatory way about someone who lacks the courage to decide: “The councilman is afraid he'll lose votes if he takes sides on the zoning issue, but he can't sit on the fence forever.”


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The obvious prediction to go for is a draw – that’s what Kellie will go for, I’m sure, and I am going to sit on the fence too.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2024

“They need to be condemned and there’s no place to sit on the fence here: You’re either condemning it or you’re condoning it.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 30, 2023

"In the coming days, the Russian market should trade in a narrow band - investors are likely to sit on the fence hoping for more clarity," BCS said.

From Reuters • Sep. 29, 2022

“There is no more time to hang back or sit on the fence or argue amongst ourselves. This is a challenge of our collective lifetime.”

From New York Times • Nov. 1, 2021

“Some m are y,” has to sit on the fence, as there is no “O” to order it off!

From Symbolic Logic by Carroll, Lewis

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